PSA recurrence

dakotarunner
dakotarunner Member Posts: 102 Member
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
had RP surgery 1/04. 8/09 PSA of 2.1. 12/09 Psa of .40. Going back to Mayo to find out what is up. From what I have read, the tradtment suggestion may be salvage radiation. Would appreciate if anyone in this group that has been down this same road would reply. At time of RP, Gleason was 4+3, PSA around 20. I look at this as just another bump along the road of life, but now and then you have to stop to get directions. Thanks

Comments

  • randy_in_indy
    randy_in_indy Member Posts: 496 Member
    #2
    Look at Sonny's well documented path
    Sonny has gone down the path of follow-up radiation. Sounds like you need some further testing at Mayo...perhaps CT/bone scan Good luck with eliminating the bump in the road!

    Randy in Indy
  • dakotarunner
    dakotarunner Member Posts: 102 Member
    #3
    randy_in_indy said:

    Look at Sonny's well documented path
    Sonny has gone down the path of follow-up radiation. Sounds like you need some further testing at Mayo...perhaps CT/bone scan Good luck with eliminating the bump in the road!

    Randy in Indy

    Was at Mayo in August '09.
    Was at Mayo in August '09. CT scan, bone scan, MRI, coil MRI. Thought they saw something where urethrea hooks into bladder. PSA was .21 the. Thought it best to see what wqs up in 3-4 months with PSA and let them have latest test results. Sent them newest test from Dec. '09 at .40. Go back Feb. 8 for another coil MRI, probable biopsy of suspect area, then we will see where we go from there. I am goood with what ever they find and want to do. I am very happy with Mayo. But, coil MRI's are a pain in the butt.
  • randy_in_indy
    randy_in_indy Member Posts: 496 Member
    #4
    dakotarunner said:

    Was at Mayo in August '09.
    Was at Mayo in August '09. CT scan, bone scan, MRI, coil MRI. Thought they saw something where urethrea hooks into bladder. PSA was .21 the. Thought it best to see what wqs up in 3-4 months with PSA and let them have latest test results. Sent them newest test from Dec. '09 at .40. Go back Feb. 8 for another coil MRI, probable biopsy of suspect area, then we will see where we go from there. I am goood with what ever they find and want to do. I am very happy with Mayo. But, coil MRI's are a pain in the butt.

    I must agree on the Coil MRI
    I couldn't wait to get that out....I was about to sqeeze the ball which set off an alarm and say...whatever pictures you have will have to do as I am out of here...hope I don't have to do that again...biopsy was a piece of cake compared to the coil.

    Good luck and I have been to Mayo in Rochester and was completely satisfied and amazed at the competent care!

    Randy In Indy...former highly competitive runner lbs ago!!
  • Mitch128
    Mitch128 Member Posts: 20
    #5
    randy_in_indy said:

    I must agree on the Coil MRI
    I couldn't wait to get that out....I was about to sqeeze the ball which set off an alarm and say...whatever pictures you have will have to do as I am out of here...hope I don't have to do that again...biopsy was a piece of cake compared to the coil.

    Good luck and I have been to Mayo in Rochester and was completely satisfied and amazed at the competent care!

    Randy In Indy...former highly competitive runner lbs ago!!

    Endorectal Coil MRI Experience
    For me the Biopsy versus Endorectal Coil MRI experience was dramatic.

    I'm a survivor of three Biopsies - the second one actually caused me to pass out. The biopsy experience was one on extremely sharp, unbearable pain. By contrast, the Endorectal Coil MRI was approximately 30 minutes of discomfort accompanied by heat but no more.

    After having to endure test after test (DRE's, prostate biopsies, CT Scan, Whole Body Imaging Scan, Multiple View Xrays, Renal Ultra Sound and Prostascint) it was the Endorectal Coil MRI that finally revealed the full (literally) picture (up to that point, at least) which was interpretation "Extra Right Side Capsule Extension with Borderline Involvement of the right seminal vesicle".

    It is, on the basis of the Endorectal Coil MRI, that I have made hard decisions regarding my treatment options.

    Hope this helps others.

    Mitch
  • randy_in_indy
    randy_in_indy Member Posts: 496 Member
    #6
    Mitch128 said:

    Endorectal Coil MRI Experience
    For me the Biopsy versus Endorectal Coil MRI experience was dramatic.

    I'm a survivor of three Biopsies - the second one actually caused me to pass out. The biopsy experience was one on extremely sharp, unbearable pain. By contrast, the Endorectal Coil MRI was approximately 30 minutes of discomfort accompanied by heat but no more.

    After having to endure test after test (DRE's, prostate biopsies, CT Scan, Whole Body Imaging Scan, Multiple View Xrays, Renal Ultra Sound and Prostascint) it was the Endorectal Coil MRI that finally revealed the full (literally) picture (up to that point, at least) which was interpretation "Extra Right Side Capsule Extension with Borderline Involvement of the right seminal vesicle".

    It is, on the basis of the Endorectal Coil MRI, that I have made hard decisions regarding my treatment options.

    Hope this helps others.

    Mitch

    Biopsy differences
    I wonder what it is that makes the biopsy differences...a friend and co-worker said he got a biopsy with a smaller hospital and it was excruciating and then had it repeated with the same doctor that did mine and said he didn't feel a thing...I then concluded it's the hands and skill of the one with that nasty poker that makes the difference. Mine was painless...my phone went off during and the Dr, said "you might hear some ringing when I'm doing this" we all laughed and then he said if you can reach it you might want to check your messages while I'm doing the last ones as it would take my mind off what he's doing...so I did...but I never felt anything more than a pinch at worst and sometimes nothing at all....with each pull of the trigger he said ..."sorry dude" I responded I don't know what for...I didn't feel a thing. One thing is for sure will never have to get another one in the prostate...mine is now in someplace where they dispose of human body parts. LOL

    Randy in Indy - GO COLTS!
  • DRC
    DRC Member Posts: 3
    #7
    I am 57 and apprx 3 yrs post RP and 1.5 yrs post radiation. My PSA went up after one year but we didn't let it get as high as your. But in any case, I went through 35 radiation treatments (5 days per week) supplemented by two Lupron shots. The first shot was given two months before radiation and the second three months after the first.

    The radiation did not keep me from work but did make me a bit tired toward the end. The worst part was filling my bladder (and I mean filling!) for each session. It was as you say "a bump in the road but manageable.

    Impotence and hot flashes are the common side effects of Lupron and I experienced both but again manageable. About six months after the second shot I was becoming active again and after nine months quite OK.

    I am still cancer free and living a fairly normal and satifying life despite some additional side effects of the radiation thanks to a loving and understanding wife and Cialis.
  • DRC
    DRC Member Posts: 3
    #8
    Mitch128 said:

    Endorectal Coil MRI Experience
    For me the Biopsy versus Endorectal Coil MRI experience was dramatic.

    I'm a survivor of three Biopsies - the second one actually caused me to pass out. The biopsy experience was one on extremely sharp, unbearable pain. By contrast, the Endorectal Coil MRI was approximately 30 minutes of discomfort accompanied by heat but no more.

    After having to endure test after test (DRE's, prostate biopsies, CT Scan, Whole Body Imaging Scan, Multiple View Xrays, Renal Ultra Sound and Prostascint) it was the Endorectal Coil MRI that finally revealed the full (literally) picture (up to that point, at least) which was interpretation "Extra Right Side Capsule Extension with Borderline Involvement of the right seminal vesicle".

    It is, on the basis of the Endorectal Coil MRI, that I have made hard decisions regarding my treatment options.

    Hope this helps others.

    Mitch

    Coil
    To Randy

    Thanks for reminding me of that experience! I had to do it twice! LOL.

    But...Still alive, cancer free and living a great life 3 yrs post rp.

    Many thanks to all at MD Anderson Cancer Clinic in Houston.
  • dakotarunner
    dakotarunner Member Posts: 102 Member
    #9
    DRC said:

    I am 57 and apprx 3 yrs post RP and 1.5 yrs post radiation. My PSA went up after one year but we didn't let it get as high as your. But in any case, I went through 35 radiation treatments (5 days per week) supplemented by two Lupron shots. The first shot was given two months before radiation and the second three months after the first.

    The radiation did not keep me from work but did make me a bit tired toward the end. The worst part was filling my bladder (and I mean filling!) for each session. It was as you say "a bump in the road but manageable.

    Impotence and hot flashes are the common side effects of Lupron and I experienced both but again manageable. About six months after the second shot I was becoming active again and after nine months quite OK.

    I am still cancer free and living a fairly normal and satifying life despite some additional side effects of the radiation thanks to a loving and understanding wife and Cialis.

    Trip results
    Home from Mayo. No change in the coil MRI from the one in Aug.'09. My Dr. thought best to get another PSA check in 6 months, but to have it run thru the lab at Mayo so lab report will be same scale as in Aug.,which was.21. The lab at my home had been .4 in Dec '09. Had gone thru the whole thing of scans, MRI's, etc. when at Mayo in Aug., so I am good with this. Looks like watchful waiting at this point. Worst part of the trip was 4 hours of solid ice roads going and going to to Rochester. One good thing was it kept a lot of the traffic off the road, however a lot of that traffic was in the ditch. To all I say "fight on, piss on prostate cancer".
  • RichardRS
    RichardRS Member Posts: 44
    #10
    DRC said:

    I am 57 and apprx 3 yrs post RP and 1.5 yrs post radiation. My PSA went up after one year but we didn't let it get as high as your. But in any case, I went through 35 radiation treatments (5 days per week) supplemented by two Lupron shots. The first shot was given two months before radiation and the second three months after the first.

    The radiation did not keep me from work but did make me a bit tired toward the end. The worst part was filling my bladder (and I mean filling!) for each session. It was as you say "a bump in the road but manageable.

    Impotence and hot flashes are the common side effects of Lupron and I experienced both but again manageable. About six months after the second shot I was becoming active again and after nine months quite OK.

    I am still cancer free and living a fairly normal and satifying life despite some additional side effects of the radiation thanks to a loving and understanding wife and Cialis.

    Lupron
    Thanks for your report. I am deciding what to do with PSA rising 2 years post prostatectomy. I gather that you have regained potency with help from Cialis. I find 1/3 cialis pill and 1/3 viagra pill works well for me. I am glad to hear that you had only a mild reaction to the Lupron. I have heard many horror stories about this drug.
    Richard
  • dakotarunner
    dakotarunner Member Posts: 102 Member
    #11
    RichardRS said:

    Lupron
    Thanks for your report. I am deciding what to do with PSA rising 2 years post prostatectomy. I gather that you have regained potency with help from Cialis. I find 1/3 cialis pill and 1/3 viagra pill works well for me. I am glad to hear that you had only a mild reaction to the Lupron. I have heard many horror stories about this drug.
    Richard

    to RichardRS
    The Cialis kinda works for me. Bedroom had not been on fire before surgeryue to meds my wife is on, but I felt at the time of surgery and still do now, that there is so much to live for. Wifew seemed OK with that. If I had not had surgery, my first Dr. at that time said five years if nothing was done. The last thing I wanted to hear at my funeral in five years would have been "there goes old Bill, gone way before his time, but he could still get a good hard one up". It just would not have a good ring to it. Told my current Dr. to take whatever was he felt was needed. You have to trust your Dr., and I have complete confidence in mine. As far as the Lupron, yes, only hot flashes. Lots of stories from lots of guys on it, but everyone is different. If push comes to shove and hormone shots are the only alternative, I guess that is what I will do. I am 60 yr. old, and do not expect to get to that point until around 85.

    Keep up the good fight. If you ever want to talk about it, give me a call on my cell at 605-202-0095. It is always good to talk to someone going down the same trail. And remember, piss on prostate cancer!!

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